You Should Never Assemble Deviled Eggs While They're Still Warm. Here's Why

Deviled eggs never seem to go out of style. Luxuriously creamy with a touch of tang, they can be whipped up with a handful of pantry staples in next to no time. But while working with ingredients like ranch dressing, curry powder, or blue cheese crumbles can improve even the most basic of recipes, one of the most important elements of crafting the perfect deviled eggs is based on assembly. That means that it's time to rethink your process, slow things down, and whatever you do — refrain from using warm eggs.

Despite there being plenty of hacks to improve your deviled eggs out there, many of these tips focus solely on elevating flavor. Important as this may be, that's only part of the equation. Ensuring the quality of your primary material (the eggs) is just as essential. Likewise, so is making sure that they have been properly boiled to achieve optimal consistency.

If you've noticed that your recipe is still coming up short, then it's time to change how you assemble your deviled eggs. Don't let the promise of decadence sway you to work quickly — something as simple as failing to let the eggs fully cool might just be the reason why your deviled eggs are less than impressive.

Letting eggs cool in between boiling and assembling is arguably the most important — yet overlooked — step when it comes to making deviled eggs. However, exercising a bit of patience can make all the difference when it comes to putting the absolute best deviled eggs on your plate.

In an interview with Real Simple, Trey Braswell of Braswell Family Farms shared that warm egg whites are not only more susceptible to tearing, but warm yolks can also even cause mayonnaise or a dairy-based filling like yogurt or crème fraîche to split. That's not to mention that warm eggs will inevitably lead to a messier outcome, since the filling can separate and potentially even leak from its pearly white egg half. That said, the simple solution is to always let boiled eggs cool completely. 

Although you can simply wait for eggs to cool down on their own, you can also try shocking the eggs with an ice bath. A popular technique to stop vegetables from cooking, a plunge into icy water can also work the same way for eggs. Aside from cooling the eggs significantly faster, another helpful benefit of the ice bath is that it can also cause egg whites to contract and loosen from the membrane, making them insanely easy to peel — so give it a try the next time you make a batch of deviled eggs!